Synopses & Reviews
In this revolutionary bestseller, innovation expert Clayton M. Christensen says outstanding companies can do everything right and still lose their market leadership—or worse, disappear altogether. And not only does he prove what he says, but he tells others how to avoid a similar fate.
Focusing on “disruptive technology,” Christensen shows why most companies miss out on new waves of innovation. Whether in electronics or retailing, a successful company with established products will get pushed aside unless managers know when to abandon traditional business practices. Using the lessons of successes and failures from leading companies, The Innovators Dilemma presents a set of rules for capitalizing on the phenomenon of disruptive innovation.
Find out:
- When it is right not to listen to customers.
- When to invest in developing lower-performance products that promise lower margins.
- When to pursue small markets at the expense of seemingly larger and more lucrative ones.
Sharp, cogent, and provocative, The Innovators Dilemma is one of the most talked-about books of our time—and one no savvy manager or entrepreneur should be without.
Synopsis
Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen demonstrates in the most revolutionary business hook in years why outstanding companies that did everything right -- were in tune with the competition, listened to customers, and invested aggressively in new technologies -- still lost their market leadership when confronted with disruptive changes in technology and market structure...and he tells how to avoid a similar fate as business races online into the 21st century. The Innovator's Dilemma eloquently demonstrates a shattering paradox -- that the best of conventional good business practices can ultimately weaken a great firm. Over time, mainstream customers will initially reject important breakthroughs or disruptive technologies, leading firms to allow strategic innovations to languish. The solution? Create a subsidiary entirely focused on the emerging market, one that is free to be visionary while courting an unorthodox customer base and staying poised to catch the next great wave of industry growth. Sharp, cogent, and provocative, The Innovator's Dilemma is one of the most talked-about business books of our time -- and something that none of today's executives will dare to be without.
Synopsis
“Absolutely brilliant. Clayton Christensen provides an insightful analysis of changing technology and its importance to a companys future success.”
—Michael R. Bloomberg
“This book ought to chill any executive who feels bulletproof —and inspire entrepreneurs aiming their guns.”
—Forbes
The Innovators Dilemma is the revolutionary business book that has forever changed corporate America. Based on a truly radical idea—that great companies can fail precisely because they do everything right—this Wall Street Journal, Business Week and New York Times Business bestseller is one of the most provocative and important business books ever written. Entrepreneurs, managers, and CEOs ignore its wisdom and its warnings at their great peril.
About the Author
CLAYTON M. CHRISTENSEN is the Kim B. Clark Professor at Harvard Business School, the author of seven books, a five-time recipient of the McKinsey Award for Harvard Business Review's best article, and the cofounder of four companies, including the innovation consulting firm Innosight. In 2011 he was named the world's most influential business thinker in a biennial ranking conducted by Thinkers50.